Manhattan Nanny Fired After Enduring Racial Discrimination

In 2016, the wife of a Manhattan financier hired a nanny to care for her newborn. Upon discovering the race of the new nanny, she intended to send her husband a text saying “NOOOOOOOOOOO ANOTHER BLACK PERSON.” Lynsey Plasco-Flaxman, a mother of two, wrote this message upon meeting the new nanny, Giselle Maurice, for her first day at work. However, Plasco-Flaxman did not actually send this message to her husband. She accidentally sent the message to her nanny. Twice. Upon realizing her mistake, Lynsey Plasco-Flaxman fired Maurice because she felt “uncomfortable.” Part of her reasoning was that they were expecting a Filipino this time. Plasco-Flaxman noted that their previous nanny was also black and had done a bad job. However, there is never any legitimate excuse for racial discrimination or stereotyping.

Nanny Files Lawsuit

Maurice, an experienced caretaker, is now suing the couple for discrimination and seeking compensation for wages she would have earned during this employment period — $350-a-day for a six-month period. “[I want] to show them, look, you don’t do stuff like that. I know it’s discrimination,” Maurice told The New York Post. Maurice said she never would have treated the newborn baby any differently because of the mother’s racial discrimination. “This is my reputation. Why would I do something to a baby?” she said. “I was willing to work with her and prove her wrong, but it was her conscience, and she couldn’t work with me anymore.” Maurice first attempted to resolve this issue in mediation, but after that failed, she decided to file this lawsuit.

The Parents’ Defense

The family says their actions were reasonable and argued that they could no longer trust Maurice after offending her with this text message. “[My wife] had sent her something that she didn’t mean to say. She’s not a racist. We’re not racist people,” Mr. Plasco told The New York Post. “But would you put your children in the hands of someone you’ve been rude to, even if it was by mistake? Your newborn baby? Come on.” Plasco said that they didn’t owe her any more money because there was no formal contract, and that the suit is just “extortion.” “My wife was two months off having a baby, suffering from a very difficult situation. You’re going to go after someone like that? That’s not a very nice thing to do,” he said. However, the couple will have to face the consequences of this offensive text in court.

Seek Legal Assistance Today

It is illegal for an employer to fire someone based on the color of their skin. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex and national origin. If you have been discriminated against or fired for any of these characteristics, seek legal assistance today. The Working Solutions Law Firm, located in New York City, can assist you if you have experienced discrimination in the workplace. Contact us today at (646) 430-7930 to schedule a free case evaluation and receive experienced legal counsel.